Early Retirement Calculator

2026 rules

Check whether you can retire early, and how you'll pay for the years before 59½.

Your numbers

Your age

Age you want to retire

Yearly spending in retirement

Taxable brokerage and cash

401(k), IRA and other retirement accounts

Saved per year until then

Social Security at 67 (yearly, today's dollars)

Real return (after inflation)

Result

Savings at 55$1,889,201

Needed: 4% rule after Social Security, plus the years before it starts$1,360,000
On trackYes
Years before 59½ to bridge4.5
Spending in those years$315,000
Taxable money at retirement (est.)$613,349

Ways to reach retirement accounts before 59½ without the 10% tax: the rule of 55, 72(t) payments, and a Roth conversion ladder (each conversion is available after five years).

How it works

The calculator grows all your savings to your target age and compares them with what you need: enough to cover spending minus Social Security at 4%, plus Social Security's share for each year before it starts at 67.

Retiring before 59½ needs money you can reach without the 10% penalty: taxable savings, Roth contributions, the rule of 55, 72(t) payments or a Roth conversion ladder.

Questions

What is a Roth conversion ladder?

Convert part of a traditional IRA to Roth each year. Five years after each conversion, that amount can be withdrawn without tax or penalty.

How do I handle health insurance?

ACA Marketplace plans until Medicare at 65. Premium credits depend on the income you report, which conversions and withdrawals change.